Spikeless rail plate



J. G. BRIGGS 2,139,720

SPIKELESS RAIL PLATE Filed Feb. 21, 1938 I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 13, 1938 PATENT OFFICE SPIKELESS RAIL PLATE Joseph G. Briggs, San Jose, Calif., assignor of onehalf to Henry D. Gilbert, Los Gatos, Calif.

Application February 21, 1938, Serial No. 191,688

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to rail plates for holding railway rails upon cross ties.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a rail plate which will hold the rail securely upon the tie without the necessity of driving spikes; which can be provided with brace flanges bearing against the web and the under side of the head of the rail; which can be removed and replaced if necessary without moving the rail; and by means of which the rail can be placed and secured in position with the least possible expenditure of time and labor. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be come apparent from the following specification, which should be read with the understanding that changes, within the scope of the claims hereto appended, may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts herein illustrated and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention Fig. l is a plan view of the complete plate with the rail in place.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the plate and tie, the rail being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the locking memher or key.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on a reduced scale, so taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a slight -modification.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the reference numeral 6 designates a cross tie, 35 and 1 is the rail. 8 is an inverted U-shaped plate, having a flat top portion 9 resting upon the top of the tie, and downwardly bent side portions l 0 lying against the sides of the tie. The plate 8 may be secured to the tie in any suit- 0 able manner, preferably by one or more horizontal bolts 1 l.

The side portions are cut at an angle at one end, and turned inwardly to form flanges I2 which lie in inclined grooves l3 cut in the sides of the tie. The inclined and flanged end of the plate is placed toward the center of the track, i. e. on the inside of the rail, so that the normal outward thrust of the rail tends to cause the plate to settle more firmly upon the tie.

A modification of the structure last described is shown in Fig. 5, wherein the ends of the side portions 10 are flanged outwardly as at It, and are engaged by separate locking plates l5 provided with grooves l6 and inwardly turned flanges l! which lie in the inclined grooves I 3 of the tie. The locking plates i5 are'held in place by the bolt H, This construction enables the plate to be removed from the tie while the rail is in place, without thenecessity of spreading its side portions H! to release their flanges from the grooves 13, as is necessary with the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The plate 8 is provided with suitable means for engaging the base of the rail to hold it in place. As one example of such means, I have shown upwardly extending flanges it, which may, and are so shown herein, be carried up to form braces bearing against the web 69 and the under side of the head of the rail. Said flanges it, which overlie the base 2% of the rail and hold it down, are preferably formed by stamping them out of the side portions ill of the plate as indicated at 2|, and bending them up. These brace flanges l8, being on the outside of the rail, hold and brace it securely without additional brace means, even on curved track. It will be seen that the outward thrust of the rail is transferred by said flanges I8 to the plate 8, which is securely held upon the tie by the interlocking flanges i2 and grooves l3, the latter relieving the bolt ll of shearing strains.

The top portion 9 of the plate 8 is cut out, as shown at 22, to form a slot extending from one end to beyond the base of the rail, and into this slot is fitted a locking plate or key 23, whose base has the same thickness as that of the plate portion 9. The key 23 has'its inner end portion slotted, as at 24, to form two tongues 25, and is provided with side shoulders 26 to interlock with corresponding shoulders 21 in the sides of the slot 22 to prevent said key from being pulled out. The outer end of the key is wider, and has lugs 28 which interlock with corresponding lugs 29 on the plate top 9 to prevent said plate from spreading. Lugs 30 are provided on the plate top overlying the outer end of the key to hold it down.

The key 23 is provided with suitable means for engaging the base 20 of the rail, and such means may be in the form of upstanding brace flanges 3| which not only hold the rail down but brace it laterally as well, in the same manner as the flanges l8 but on the opposite side. The base portion of the key 23 is preferablymade with a slight curve or camber, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, so that when it is driven home, the brace flanges 3| bear tightly and resiliently against the web of therail. When in final position, the base portion of the key is fiat or nearly so, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 3, but the resilience of the metal causes the web of the rail to be tightly clamped between the opposite brace flanges I 8 and 3|.

In laying track, the plates 8 are first placed upon the ties and bolted in place. The rail is then laid in position on said plates and against the brace flanges IS. The keys 23 are then placed in the slots 22 of the plates and driven in until the shoulders 26 and 21 engage each other. In this final position of the keys, the brace flanges 3| are forced against the rail, tightly clamping it between the opposite brace flanges l8 and 3|..

When either the rail or a plate must be removed, the tongues 25 of the key are forced together, by a suitable spanner wrench (not shown) engaging holes 32 in said tongues, therebyJfreeing the:

shoulders 25 and 21 and permitting the key to be driven out endwise.

I claim:

l. A rail plate structure comprising a plate adaptedto restupon'a cross tie, said'plate having a longitudinal slot extending into it from one open end, meansupon said plate formed: to engage and'fitover the base of the rail on the side remote from said open end, a key member having a tongue portion formed to lie within said slot, means upon said key member formed to engage and fit over the other side of the base of the rail, and locking means formed on said plate and the tongue portion of said key member for mutual engagement to prevent longitudinal removal of said key member.

2. A rail plate structure comprising a plate adapted to rest upon a cross tie, said plate having a longitudinal slot extending into it from one end, means upon said plate for engaging one side of a rail, a laterally and longitudinally movable key member'formed to lie within said slot, means upon saidkey member for engaging the other side of the rail, and interengaging shoulders formed upon the side edges of said slot and said key member to prevent longitudinal removal of said key member, said shoulders being disengaged by lateral movement of said key member.

3. A rail plate structure comprising a plate adapted to rest upon a cross tie, said plate having a longitudinal slot extending into it from one end, meansupon; said plate for engaging one side of a rail, a key member formed to lie within said slot, said key member having a longitudinal slot separating. two tongues, means upon said' key member for engaging the other side of the rail, and interengaging shoulders formed upon said tongues and upon the edges of the slot of said plate to preventlongitudinalremoval of said key member, said shoulders being disengaged by moving said tongues toward each other.

4. A railv plate structure comprising a plate adapted to rest upon a cross tie, said plate having a longitudinal slot extending into it from one end, means upon said plate for engaging one side of a rail, a key member formed to lie within said slot, means upon said key member for engaging the other side of the rail, locking means formedv on saidiplate and said key member for. mutual engagement to prevent longitudinal removal of said key member, andlinterengaging lugs' onrsaid plate and said key member to prevent lateral spreading of theslotted end portion of said plate.

5. A rail plate structure comprising a plate adapted to rest upon a cross tie, said. plate having" a longitudinal slot extending into it from one end, means uponsaid plate for engagingonei-side of a rail, a1 substantially T-shapedkey member having a tongue formed to lie within said slot;

interengaging means formed on the tongue of said key member and on said plate to prevent longitudinal removal of said key member, lugs on the head of said key member engaging the slotted end portion of said plate to prevent lateral spreading thereof, and means on said key member engaging the other side of the rail.

6. A rail plate structure comprising a plate adapted to fit over a cross tie and having a top portion ancla depending'side portion,.a flange projecting inwardly from said side portion at an angle to the horizontal to engage a corresponding groove in the side of the tie whereby said plate-is. held: against movement lengthwise of the tie, meanson said plate for engaging one side of a rail, andalockingmember removably mounted on said plate, saidlocking member having means forengagingxthe:other'side of the rail.

7. Incombination with a railroad rail and a crosstie; said tie having a groove in its side and said, groove being inclined so that its-upper end is nearer the center of the track than its lower end,- a plate having a top portion resting upon th'e'top of the tie and a side portion, a flange projecting inwardly from said side portion toengage said groove, and means for securing the rail to said plate.

8. In combination with a railroad rail and a cross tie, said tie having'a groove in its side and.

said groove being inclined sothat its upper end is nearer the center of the track than its lower end, a plate resting uponsaidtie beneath the rail, a member removably connected with said plate, said member having a portion engaging said" groove, and means for securing; the rail to said plate.

9; A rail plate structure comprising a plate formed to rest upon a cross tie,.said plate having a top and'a depending side, aportion of said side being cut out. and-bent upwardly to form a brace against one side of arail,.and means removably connected with said plate for engaging the other side-of the rail. 1

10. A rail plate structure comprising a plate formed to-fit over 'a: cross tie, said plate having a top and depending, sides, portions of saidsidesbeing cutout and bent upwardly to formbraces against one side of a rail, and said top-havinga longitudinal slot. extending" inwardly from one end, a bolt extending through said sides and throughthe tie-,a'key member positionedin said slot, means on said key member for engagingthe other side of'the-rail, andlocking means-forcpreventing, removal of said key member.

11. Arail platestructure comprisingv a plate adapted to rest. upon across tie, said. plate having a longitudinal slot extendingv into the tie from one openrend; meansupon saidiplate formed l to engage, and fit over the base'of therail on the side: remote from. said open end, a key member having a tongue portion formed to lie withinsaid slot, means upon said key member. formed to engage and fit over the other side of the basev of the rail, lockingmeans'formed OI'hSaldIQIEtEBJIId the tongue portion of said key member formutual'engagement to prevent longitudinal removalof said key member, the tongue portion of said key member. being resilient and'upwardly arched, the endportions of: said tongue restingupon. the: tie, and. the base of the rail. resting upon the upwardly arched center portion of said tongue, whereby the rail. engaging means. of said plate: and said key member are. causedto resiliently grip the sides of the rail.

JOSEPH G. BRIGGS. 

